


Debts Must Be Paid

by IceCreamRaven



Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: (Maybe He Will Be), Arthur Morgan Has A Heart, Big Spoilers, But He's Not A Good Man, But Set Early On, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Guilt, POV Of A Scene, Spoilers, This Is Not Fun For Anyone Involved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-19 21:29:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16542605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceCreamRaven/pseuds/IceCreamRaven
Summary: "Pay. The. Money."Arthur Morgan goes to collect a debt and begins to pay another.





	Debts Must Be Paid

When he swings himself off his horse he thinks that Thomas Downes' ranch isn't very impressive. None of the people who borrow from Strauss tend to live in impressive places.

He doesn't look like an impressive man either, tending to a small garden within a small fence, and his voice sounds fragile when he calls out,

"You. Uh. Whatever do you want?"

Nothing like his own, gruff and loud,

"Mr. Thomas Downes...You owe me money."

"Oh, no-no, I'm...I'm..."

He groans in exasperation (perhaps there's some reluctance there too, perhaps) and pushes the gate open.

"C'mere you maggot..."

"Please, sir... I'm... I'll..."

"Really?" 

He scoffs as he knocks the rake out of his hands and punches him to the ground

"Threaten me, would ya?"

"Please... I have a family, sir... please."

"I don't _care_ about your family."

And he strikes him again.

"You ain't such a do-gooder are ya? If you're running out on debts."

"Please. Please. Show some compassion."

Compassion, that's almost funny, and not an option, not when their funds are so low.

The man looks small as he stands over him from where he shoved him to the ground.

Small and scared.

"Strauss told me you needed a beating. You saying he was right?"

"What will that solve?"

"Pay. The. Money. If you'd been good this wouldn't be happening."

He stalks forward, Thomas struggles to push himself away. 

"Please. Please no."

He pins him to the fence of his garden, blood dripping from the man's nose as he grabs his lapels.

"You borrowed money from my business partner Herr Strauss. You owe him. You took the money. He wants it back. What's not to understand?"

He truly wishes that people would stop letting Strauss's silver tongue convince them to make deals like this, so he'd have to stop dirtying his hands, it feels worse than robbing them somehow.

With a heaving cough the man splatters blood on his face, looking faintly dazed, and he swipes at it.

"Where's our money?!"

"I don't have it."

He briefly glances towards the man's farm.

"Sell your place."

"We already owe more than it's worth." 

His voice cracks on another cough.

"Then sell your wife, or your family, or something. We ain't your idea of charity is that clear?"

He tightens his hands on the lapels, lifting him slightly.

The only response he gets is more coughing, and he lets him go, lets him tumble to the ground, turning away.

"Thomas!"

The man's wife and son (he guesses) are rushing over, the young man looks at him like he's the devil incarnate, maybe to him he is.

"What you looking at?"

The woman flinches slightly, her face lined with age and stress.

"Thomas-"

"I said what you looking at, woman?"

She backs up rapidly, her boy following her.

"My husband isn't well. If we could just have more-"

"Like I said, we ain't nobody's idea of charity. Get us the money!"

And he walks away, leaving them alone and helpless in the dirt.

As he climbs up on his horse and rides away he tells himself he isn't bothered by having the man's blood still on his hands.

_Still on his face._

He wipes it off more thoroughly with his fingers and ignores his conscience.

He's gotten good at that.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't _know_ that Arthur got tuberculosis from the first mission where you collect debts, but I believe he did, I haven't beaten the game but I know he catches it, I'm actually on chapter 3 and y'all, this game has me in my emotions.  
> I slightly tweaked some of the dialogue, in my playthrough I just wailed on the guy (don't look at me like that I didn't know he was sick alright?) but I didn't have that recorded so I had to find another playthrough and they just threatened, so it's a bit of a mix of both.  
> Some of the exact wording is taken from Arthur's journal entry post this mission!  
> Never written Arthur before, I hope he doesn't feel ooc!


End file.
